The present invention relates to railway vehicles for transporting long loads and, more particularly, to a railway vehicle having a depressed central portion and an assembly mounted in the depression which can horizontally and vertically shift at least a portion of a long load carried by the vehicle.
Conventionally, railway transport vehicles commonly referred to as "Schnabel" cars have often been employed to transport very large or heavy loads over the railways. In a Schnabel car arrangement the load is carried between two Schnabel cars. The two Schnabel cars are able to position the load low to the track by dispensing with the need for a car directly under the load. The load itself is suspended over the tracks as it is connected between each of the Schnabel cars. Each ends of the load is connected to mounting portions on each car of the Schnabel cars. The mounting portions are generally positioned as low to the track as feasible for the load being carried. Schnabel cars conventionally require that the load being carried transmit compressive forces between the two cars of the arrangement. Some examples of Schnabel type cars are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,041,879 to Cockrell; 4,160,420 to Hackbarth et al.; 4,164,906 to Nieviarovski and 4,341,494 to Fedele. Cockrell and Fedele also disclose that, instead of the load being suspended with nothing between the bottom of the load and the tracks, there can be a support platform or carrier bars connected between the lower mounting portions of each of the Schnabel cars. The load can then be supported on the platform or bars. Fedele, additionally discloses that the load may be shifted laterally during transport to avoid obstructions along the tracks and also to maintain a desired pivot center to avoid overloading of the outside set of wheels of the cars. Hackbarth further discloses that the load can be vertically raised or lowered as well as shifted laterally in order to accommodate obstructions along the tracks during transport.
However, in each case the solution to keeping the load low to the tracks has been to use Schnabel type cars whereby the load, or a load supporting member, is suspended low over the tracks. Additionally, if the capability to raise, lower or laterally shift the load is desired, each half of the Schnabel car arrangement would have to be equipped with the appropriate equipment to performing the lifting/shifting functions. An example of such equipment is disclosed in Fedele referred to above. Furthermore, with the Schnabel car arrangements, the load being transported is normally required to be subjected to, and to transfer, compression forces between the two Schnabel cars.
Besides the object being transported having to bear compression loads, there is a practical maximum length of an object which can be transported by Schnabel cars. This is because in very long loads having a large length to height ratio, the compression forces transmitted by the load are inadequate to balance the torque created at the mounting points between the load and the Schnabel cars. Consequently, Schnabel cars can be unsuitable for transporting long loads which have a low profile.
It has also been known to transport very long loads, for example, on flat bed railway transport vehicles. A flat bed car can be a span bolster carried on multiple truck assemblies. An example of such is a twelve axle rail vehicle as disclosed in commonly owned co-pending U. S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,388, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. However, flat bed vehicles can have problems providing a low enough carrying height for the long load. Additionally, since multiple flat bed cars can be required for a very long load, equipment for laterally shifting the load on the bed of the cars can be necessary for the train to avoid obstructions and negotiate turns along the transport route. Also, even where conventional equipment has been employed on the flat beds for lifting or shifting the load, there have can be problems providing a stable, secure manner of shifting the load. If stability is not maintained, the load can actually become dislodged off of the rail vehicle which can result in injury to others, damage to the load and delays for other rail vehicles along the route.
Accordingly, there is a need for a railway transport vehicle and apparatus for transporting long loads along railways which can provide a relatively low transport height which can securely adjust portions of the long load both laterally and vertically to negotiate turns and avoid obstructions along the railway route. Furthermore, such transport should not require the object transported to bear compressive forces.